Prescribing T3 in the UK

[diogenes]

I found this site labelled "Open Prescribing" where there is available a map showing prescription of T3 across all CCGs in the UK. It was of great interest in that the highest CCG prescribing rate was 0.36/1000 patients down to 0.02/1000 in many others.

The total year spend was about £17 million - I work out that, using £7 for the cost of a tablet and 365 days in the year at a total 0f 6650 patients in England. This must exclude at least 100000 patients who would probably do better with combination treatment. It shows how big is the shortfall in necessary prescribing, which is some CCGs is gross.

[LindaC]

Thank you diogenes. A while back I found 2013 spreadsheets of England & Wales - region by region - with full listings of Armour/Erfa + T3 prescribing = fascinating! It certainly covered my specific locality where Armour and T3 were being prescribed... somewhat strange in this City, given the apparent long held views of A Weet*** still seem to prevail.

[loueldhen]

CCGs are the worst actors in this story. Two years ago I wrote to mine asking them to focus on issuing instructions as to how to prescribe T3 cheaply (named drug, European) rather than removing T3 from patients who had generally suffered for years before finding it.

However, they continue to roll out T3 prohibition policies (as can be traced by the Open Prescribing data); pursuing and punishing patients because of the greed of pharmaceutical companies. They have removed clinical judgement from endocrinologists. In many places there is no alternative treatment to levo and the 100,000 patients are condemned to a miserable, totally unnecessary, poor quality of life and diagnoses of depression, fibromyalgia and CFS.

This has so many costs for the Nhs. I used to visit my GP regularly with my miserable existence. I was referred to a neurologist, chest specialist, a rheumatologist, had Kings College Hospital investigations (MRI, lumbar puncture, nerve tests). Nothing discovered. I stopped taking levo and felt improved in two days. It's been a slow return to life but I haven't been to the GP for six years since I was prescribed T3 only.

Scandalous.

[m7-cola in reply to loueldhen]

Yes!

[UrsaP]

Found this Open Prescribing and have been watching it. Note the highest prescribing areas - the well off? Kristein Boelaert did state that was the case at the meeting in January, but has always been so. Deprescribing at its best! Oops sorry -poly pharmacy!